Krystina
Cole was a girl on a mission. She had big dreams and aspirations,
none of which included a man by her side. She knew better than that
– at least until she met Alexander Stone, the New York billionaire
real estate tycoon. She saw the way that he looked at her, and the
dark promises in his eyes. She was curious about his world and all
that it entailed. But the shadows of her past haunted her, making her
afraid to explore possibilities that she could never before have
imagined…

Alexander
Stone was a man who knew how to get what he wanted. He understood
the value of finesse, and the importance of patience and diligence to
achieve the desired result. He was successful and wealthy, relying on
his naturally sharp instincts to guide him through life. But a
chance run in with Krystina Cole quickly turned his world upside
down. Her quick wit and firecracker attitude was the complete
opposite of what he wanted in a woman, and his instincts failed him
at every turn…

However,
both Krystina and Alexander are clinging to the secrets of their
past, and neither of them are willing to compromise. Krystina’s
hardened heart makes emotional surrender a hard limit. But for
Alexander, revealing his past could have devastating results.

After
unwrapping the cellophane from the platter, I moved over to the
minibar to choose a bottle of white from the wine cooler. I perused
the selections, trying to decide what would pair best with the
cheeses.

Sauvignon
Blanc or Chardonnay? Both will go nicely, but which would she prefer?

I
glanced over at Krystina, intending to ask her if she had a
particular wine preference. However, she had a look about her that
made me pause, and I didn’t want to interrupt the picture that she
painted before me.

She
was running one delicate hand over the wooden top of my dining room
table. She wore a soft smile on her lips, appreciating the
craftsmanship of the design. She looked beautiful sitting there,
feet up on the chair, seeming completely at ease. And in that
moment, I realized that she had never before looked quite like that
in my presence. She had never appeared so completely relaxed.

So
unguarded.

I
stood there studying every beautiful line of her captivating face.
Seeing her that way, it was almost hard to believe she was capable of
so many smart remarks and witty comebacks. Perhaps her sharp tongue
and contentious behavior was a defense mechanism, one that she relied
on when she was uncomfortable. If that were truly the case, then I
would need to take corrective actions to remedy that problem. I had
to calm her, or else I’d never get through the weeks ahead.

Weeks?

Since
when do I think long term about these things?

The
idea was novel for me and I was stunned to discover that I liked the
idea of her being here more regularly. In my space. With me. It was
a distressing sort of feeling.

This
can all go to shit at a moments notice. Take it one step at a time.

A
change of tactics was needed, for Krystina’s sake as well as my
own. My normal methods of operation would have to be thrown out the
window. Attempting to take control by laying down the law would only
backfire, so I began to construct a new plan – one that would make
Krystina feel more at ease. Once she was relaxed, I would begin to
work on her trust by giving her what she’s been asking for.

Full
disclosure.

Krystina
would have no doubts about what I wanted from her after tonight. She
would know exactly who and what I was. She would either run, or she
would stay. If she stayed, then that’s when the true test would
come into play – tonight I would discover if Krystina could put
away that independent mind of hers long enough to pass her first
lesson in submission.

Finally
feeling like I had somewhat of a solution to Krystina’s
argumentative nature, I turned my attention back to the wine
selection. Smiling to myself, I settled on a bottle of Joh. Jos.
Prüm Riesling.

Sweet.
Like her.

I
grabbed two crystal wine goblets and went back to the dining room,
focused on the mission ahead. I could only hope that Krystina would
keep herself open to what I had in mind.

About
the Author:

Dakota
Willink is a self-employed writer and editor, and the author of Heart
of Stone, a contemporary romance novel.

She
has always had a passion for reading and writing. From the time she
was an adolescent, she enjoyed curling up with a good paperback,
reading genres that ranged from thriller and fantasy, to mystery and
romance. She always dreamed of one day writing her own book, but had
put her aspirations on hold to focus on her family and a career that
would pay the bills.

Although
she earned a degree in business and had built a solid reputation in
retail sales, her heart continued to be with fictional characters –
whether they belonged to a favorite author or if they were just
stories that she made up in her own head.

In
2013, Dakota gathered enough courage to turn her dreams into a
reality. In between playing chauffeur to two very busy children and
working her job during the day, Dakota began to put words on paper.
Eventually, she began to describe her life as a book. Everything she
saw or heard throughout the day, intertwined with her imagination for
the creation of future writings. By 2014, with the support of her
husband and two children, she gave up the security of a steady
paycheck and began working on her first novel full time.

Dakota
Willink is a lover of music, and appreciates the power and
stimulating effect it can have on the brain. She often uses lyrics
and melodies to help her through bouts of writers block. At the end
of her novel, you can find an authors note that recognizes and thanks
the artists that gave her inspiration.

Dakota
resides in the Western New York area, where she enjoys spending time
with family, her two Labrador Retrievers, and her spoiled rotten cat.
During the summer months, she can often be found on a boat, soaking
up the sun on the Great Lakes with her family.

Interview:

Where are you from?Buffalo, NY

Tell us your latest news?The
biggest thing to happen to me over the last 2 months was the completion and publication
of Heart of Stone. I dreamed of writing
for so long, and to finally see my words in print…it’s an impossible feeling to
explain. To pour your heart into something, and then put it out there for the whole
world to see, it’s a wild ride of emotions.

When and why did you begin writing?I
always wanted to write, but didn’t start until a couple of years ago. When my husband read what I had been working
on, he became my biggest fan and encouraged me to quit my job to focus solely
on finishing Heart of Stone.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?That’s
tough to answer…even now I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that I am a
published author. It feels surreal.

What inspired you to write your first book?I
always considered writing a pipedream until a few years ago. Then I met someone locally that wrote and
published. She was a wife and mother of
three – and just as busy as I was. It
was then that I realized that I needed to stop making excuses and just do
it. So I did.

Do you have a specific writing style?I write
romance, so I tried to keep the overall tone appropriate for my audience. I strived to ensure that the narrative and
conversations were clean and concise so that it was an easy read.

How did you come up with the title?I
honestly don’t know how I came up with it…the title was something that was
always there from the beginning. I never considered calling it anything else.

Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?It’s not so much a message, but more a lifestyle accuracy. So often I read books that portray the wrong
idea about what BDSM is, giving so many woman false notions. That can be a let
down for those expecting something that isn’t, not to mention potentially
dangerous. I’m not an expert on the
subject, but I do know that BDSM is not supposed to be abuse. My book only touches on the mild aspects of
the lifestyle, but I did a ton of research to make sure
that I depicted it correctly.

How much of the book is realistic?The book is completely fictional, with the
exception of a few minor tidbits that I pulled from my personal
experience. In Heart of Stone, Alexander
mentions stumbling across a man playing a guitar in Venice. That actually happened my husband and me in
Venice. We listened to the musician play
for hours and purchased his CD’s. In
addition, La Biga is a very real place in Rome, Italy. It’s located near the Roman Colosseum, and a
favorite stop for my family when we travel there.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?Nope. With the exception of the guitarist and La
Biga, everything was just drummed up by my imagination.

What books have most influenced your life most? I would
probably have to say two novels by Steven Saylor – Roma and Empire. After reading those books, I became
infatuated with all things related to Rome and his writing persuaded me to
travel to Italy multiple times. There’s
just something magical about the ancient city.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider
a mentor?I actually have two.J.K. Rowling is the first – her creativity,
imagination, and writing style is awe-inspiring. Emma Campion is the other – her attention to detail
and the historical accuracies in her novels is something to be revered.

What book are you reading now?Right
now, I’m not reading anything (much to my dismay). The release of Heart of
Stone has kept me extremely busy, on top of trying to complete Stepping Stone. However, I am looking forward to reading the
last Crossfire novel sometime soon.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?I recently read a collection of short stories by Dan Buri. Although it wasn’t my typical genre, I was
very impressed with his style. His
writing is clean, fluent, and well done.
I was intrigued enough to be on the look out for future writings.

What are your current projects? Stepping
Stone (Book 2 in The Stone Series) and Set in Stone (Book 3 in the Stone
Series).

What would you like my readers to know? I would
like the readers to be made aware of a super power that they have – their
opinions matter more than they know. For
an author, it’s not about the total sales.
It’s about drawing in readers to connect and feel what the characters
feel. They only way for authors to know
that they succeeded in doing this is through book reviews. Reviewing a book is the best gift a reader can
give to an author. We listen to the
reviews to learn about what we are doing right, as well as what we are doing
wrong. To those that have written a
review for Heart of Stone – I thank you.